Ray Kurzweil
DEDICATION: Episode EF49 is dedicated to Ray Kurzweil, a futurist and an advocate of the transhumanist movement and the Singularity. Transhumanism is a theory predicting that human evolution is possible (and likely) outside of biological limitations. Using exponential graphs of technology trends as predictive mechanisms, Kurzweil speculates that a machine will pass the Turing Test by the year 2029. He further believes the Singularity will happen by 2045, which is the point in time where artificial intelligence will match, and then drastically skyrocket beyond, human intelligence. This intelligence explosion is expected to have radical implications for humanity and the earth.
Unlike some scientists and thinkers, Kurzweil has a generally optimistic perspective on the technological future of AI and superintelligence into which humanity is heading. His predictions are intimidating. But like it or not, we are at a technium where technology is changing the face of humanity and our planet so rapidly that it’s impossible to even keep up with a single industry creating the future, let alone all of them. This might be both humanity’s biggest challenge, and brightest opportunity, yet.
Will we look back at our history in a century or two and laugh at what primitive apes we were in 2020, having at that point overcome every single problem we’ve ever faced? Or will there be nothing looking back from that time which we could even call … human? If Kurzweil is correct, we’ll have some hints at these answers in about 25 years; which is, not coincidentally, the same timeline of Season Two of the Evolve Faster Podcast. Stay tuned …
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